I’ve always been aware of the isolating, painful, and confusing emotions that come with mental illness. The experience of struggling through pain and suffering, especially when it feels like no one around you understands, sparked a deep empathy within me. I wanted to create a space where those who are struggling—those who feel misunderstood, stigmatized, or lonely—can find solace. A place where they can feel heard, understood, accepted, and supported on their journey.

I completed my Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology degrees at the University of Witwatersrand.

After completing my Master’s degree, I went on to complete my internship at Tara H. Moross Psychiatric Hospital in Hurlingham. During the first six months, I worked in the psychotherapy unit, diagnosing, treating, and facilitating group therapy for adult patients with a range of personality pathologies. I also worked in the adolescent unit, providing individual psychotherapy and leading Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) groups for young adolescents.

In the following six months, I worked extensively in the biochemical wards as a member of the multidisciplinary team, diagnosing and treating both acute psychotic males and females. My work in these wards required both group and individual psychotherapy interventions. While seeing inpatients at Tara, I also worked in the Outpatient Department, treating a broad spectrum of pathologies, from mood disorders to personality disorders. Additionally, I provided therapy to couples and served as a co-therapist for family therapy through the Tara Family Clinic.

After completing my internship, I undertook my community service at Sizwe Tropical Disease Hospital in Edenvale. Sizwe TD is a specialist hospital focused on diagnosing and treating patients with drug-resistant Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV. Given the extended length of stay for most patients—often over nine months—I provided long-term psychotherapy interventions. My caseload included infants, toddlers, and adults, and I addressed a variety of issues, including bereavement, health psychology, and psychoeducation. I witnessed firsthand the profound socioeconomic challenges many of my patients faced and the stigma surrounding both mental health and TB. I often worked with pregnant women and first-time mothers, supporting them in bonding with their babies both in utero and postnatally. I also provided psychoeducation and psychotherapy around HIV and TB, as many infants were affected by vertical transmission during pregnancy. This experience deepened my interest in parent-infant psychotherapy, infant development, postpartum depression, and the attachment between caregivers and infants.

After qualifying as an independent Clinical Psychologist, I furthered my training in parent-infant psychotherapy through Ububele. I am currently a member of the South African Association for Infant Mental Health (ZA-AIMH) and remain committed to continuing my education, supervision, and research in the field of parent-infant psychotherapy and infant mental health.